The invention relates to a method of monitoring the characteristic values of axles of a vehicle to determine the weight distribution on the vehicle. The characteristic values of the axles are used to indicate weight shift across the vehicle.
During use, vehicle axles support a large amount of weight. Particularly, truck-trailers that carry large shipments have axles which support heavy weights. Given the amount of weight supported by truck-trailers, a proper weight distribution on a truck-trailer is useful for easier driving and effective handling of the vehicle. However, the distribution of weight on a truck-trailer may change due to the arrangement of the cargo inside the trailer. During movement of the vehicle, the cargo may shift which sometimes causes a significant change in weight distribution on the vehicle. A change in weight distribution sometimes affects the handling of the vehicle and makes operation of the vehicle more difficult.
Presently, to diagnose the status of the weight distribution on a vehicle, the driver of the vehicle is required to routinely check the arrangement of items within the vehicle, e.g., the cargo or shipment in a trailer. A shift or movement of the cargo from its original placement is an indication that the weight distribution across the vehicle has changed and that such shift in weight may cause driving problems. Cargo shift typically occurs during sudden or abrupt driving maneuvers such as when braking, accelerating, or turning. Additionally, cargo shifts may occur when operating the vehicle on slanted or bumpy roads. By checking the arrangement of the cargo, the driver makes a determination as to the weight distribution of the vehicle. In situations where there is an indication of cargo shift, the driver must determine whether the vehicle has experienced a significant weight shift that could potentially affect the handling or operation of the vehicle.
The current method of routinely checking the arrangement of the cargo is time consuming and, sometimes inaccurate. This current method requires the driver to look at the arrangement of the cargo to determine the weight distribution of the vehicle. A considerable amount of time is usually taken to make this determination.
Additionally, in many situations, this current method is inaccurate because it relies on the driver""s judgment regarding the weight distribution which depends on the appearance of the cargo and the handling of the vehicle. Moreover, in many circumstances, the driver is not technically trained in determining the distribution of weight of the vehicle.
In a disclosed embodiment of the invention, a method of monitoring characteristic values of the axles of a vehicle is used to determine the weight distribution on the vehicle. The present invention eliminates the need for the driver to routinely check the cargo arrangement of the vehicle to determine whether a weight shift occurred. The present invention monitors the weight distribution on a vehicle while the driver is operating the vehicle. This provides a more time efficient, accurate, and safe way to monitor the weight distribution on the vehicle.
The present invention includes a method of monitoring the weight distribution on a vehicle, which generally comprises measuring characteristic values of axles of a vehicle, sending value signals of the measured values, receiving the value signals, performing computations of the measured values, comparing the computations with expected values, and sending warning signals when necessary. Detectors may be used to measure the characteristic values of the axles of a vehicle and send value signals to a control which performs the computations and compares the computations with expected values. Finally, the control may send warning signals to a display indicating that a problem may be present.
These and other features of the present invention can be understood from the following specification and drawings.